Greece Population 2016

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Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is located in southeastern Europe with the mainland at the south end of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece is bordered by Bulgaria, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, and Turkey. In 2015, Greece has an estimated population of 11.1 million, which ranks 79th in the world.

The last official census in Greece took place in 2012 which found a population of 10.8 million. Greece has a population density of 82 people per square kilometer (212/square mile), which ranks 120th in the world. The largest city and capital is the ancient city of Athens. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world with a recorded history going back at least 3,400 years. Athens has an urban population of 3 million with a metro population of 3.75 million. Athens is the most densely populated region of Greece with 19,000 people per square mile in the city proper.

About 2/3 of Greek people live in urban regions. Along with Athens, other major cities include Thessaloniki (788,000), Patras (214,000), and Heraklion (174,000).

Greece Demographics

Millions of Greeks have migrated abroad to the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Canada, and Australia over the last century, which has led to a great Greek diaspora. Until the 1990s, most of the influx of migration into Greece was returning Greek migrants from Turkey, Georgia, Russia, and the Czech Republic.

According to the 2001 census, there were 762,000 people in Greece without Greek citizenship, or about 7% of the population. Of non-citizens, about 49,000 were EU nationals and 17,000 were Cypriots with privileged status. Most came from Eastern European countries, including Albania (56%), Bulgaria (5%) and Romania (3%).

Greece, as well as Spain and Italy, continue to face large numbers of illegal immigrants attempting to enter. Most illegal immigrants entering Greece do so from its Turkey border.

Greece Population Decline

Greece is currently experiencing a declining birthrate, with hospitals reporting 10% fewer births in the past 4 years. Officials say that families simply can't afford to have children. The number of live births in the country has fallen nearly 15% and it's been unparalleled in Europe, highlighting the true impact of cost-cutting measures in the country that is at the heart of the Eurozone's financial problems.

Greece is now in its 8th straight year of recession, which is the longest on record for an advanced western economy. The country also has the highest unemployment rate in the Eurozone at almost 28%. The problem is so severe that many hospitals in Athens say social workers report growing numbers of uninsured migrant mothers who are fleeing the hospital at night with their babies and failing to register for fear of paying a delivery rate of about $600-$1,200 that most can't afford.

It’s easy to point to the current Eurozone Crisis which is affecting Greece and other countries across the world. As a result, it may be simple to deduce that fewer foreign nationals are coming to set up home here. The country has often been seen as a haven for migration but the numbers involved may not be as significant as some have thought.

How Many People Live in Greece ?

Greece Population Growth

Statistics claim that 19 per cent of the population of Greece in 2012 is aged 65 or over and this figure is predicted to rise to 23 per cent in 2025 and 30 per cent in 2050. This is a worrying statistic and one that points to further declines in the population as a whole.

As far as birth rates are concerned, the United Nation population projections claim that these are also set for a decline but they also suggest that positive immigration will counter this almost in its entirety.

After several decades of population growth, Greece could be looking ahead to a period of significant falls and some reports are suggesting that this is largely due to an ageing population. With birth rate and net migration cancelling each other out, there seems to be no help from these areas and the confirmed results from the 2011 census could be the first indication that the reports are true.